Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

[John H.]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

The folks at GM of Canada have told me in the past that it was done (since the 30's) in order to maintain auditable records for Revenue Canada (their equivalent of our IRS) related to import duties, excise taxes, offset credits, and the rest of the maze of Canadian tax issues that related to importation of U.S.-built/Canadian-sold new vehicles. GM of Canada Ltd. is legally a separate company from GM (U.S.), and technically bought U.S.-built cars from GM, imported them, and sold them through their own dealer network.

[George C.]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

John, Thanks. Save the Wave.>George

[George C.]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

John, Thanks. Save the Wave.>George

[Art A.]

[Art A.]

[Larry P.]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

When did the plant in St. Louis stop building Corvettes and when did the plant stop all production?
Has anybody checked with the older individual dealers to see if they might still have records?
Larry

[Larry P.]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

When did the plant in St. Louis stop building Corvettes and when did the plant stop all production?
Has anybody checked with the older individual dealers to see if they might still have records?
Larry

[Joe L.]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

Dick-----

I'm sure that Art had a mighty array of resources in his quest. However, if information exists that could be used to "piece together" the desired records, I've felt for a long time that it will come from WITHOUT GM. In other words, records somehow maintained by another entity such as shippers, governmental agencies, etc. I'm very satisfied that the records WITHIN GM have been thoroughly researched and further research in this regard will be like "beating a dead horse". There may, however, be some sort of seemingly unrelated information still extant within GM that when pieced together with other information from other sources might yield useful results.

For example, if there were shipping weights of each vehicle by VIN which existed in the records of the shippers, that might be very useful. Very likley, shipping weights were computed based on the known weights of the vehcles and the known weights of the options rather than each car being individually weighed. Every combination of options would have a unique total weight and by developing a computer program it might be possible to "back calculate" what the individual options were for any particular car. So, in this example, if GM still had records of what the STANDARD shipping weights were for the cars and options and the shippers had the weights reported to them at the time by GM for each car by VIN, those 2 pieces of information could be COMBINED to yield useful results.

I want to make it clear, though, that the above is just an EXAMPLE of what might be done using a combination of GM and outside information. There may be numerous other scenarios that we can't even concieve of. Most likley, if the information is ever "pieced together", it won't come from any scenario that we can imagine or speculate on.

[Joe L.]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

Dick-----

I'm sure that Art had a mighty array of resources in his quest. However, if information exists that could be used to "piece together" the desired records, I've felt for a long time that it will come from WITHOUT GM. In other words, records somehow maintained by another entity such as shippers, governmental agencies, etc. I'm very satisfied that the records WITHIN GM have been thoroughly researched and further research in this regard will be like "beating a dead horse". There may, however, be some sort of seemingly unrelated information still extant within GM that when pieced together with other information from other sources might yield useful results.

For example, if there were shipping weights of each vehicle by VIN which existed in the records of the shippers, that might be very useful. Very likley, shipping weights were computed based on the known weights of the vehcles and the known weights of the options rather than each car being individually weighed. Every combination of options would have a unique total weight and by developing a computer program it might be possible to "back calculate" what the individual options were for any particular car. So, in this example, if GM still had records of what the STANDARD shipping weights were for the cars and options and the shippers had the weights reported to them at the time by GM for each car by VIN, those 2 pieces of information could be COMBINED to yield useful results.

I want to make it clear, though, that the above is just an EXAMPLE of what might be done using a combination of GM and outside information. There may be numerous other scenarios that we can't even concieve of. Most likley, if the information is ever "pieced together", it won't come from any scenario that we can imagine or speculate on.

[Bill Stephenson]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

--------Hey,Art!.......I just felt I was letting people know in as nice a manner as I know how that many have been misspelling his name. Its a pet peeve of mine. I think I was clear about the fact that Jim may turn up zilch. Im not sure I understand what part of my post you disagree with. Should we all misspell names or make an effort to treat each other with respect?.........Bill S

[Bill Stephenson]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

--------Hey,Art!.......I just felt I was letting people know in as nice a manner as I know how that many have been misspelling his name. Its a pet peeve of mine. I think I was clear about the fact that Jim may turn up zilch. Im not sure I understand what part of my post you disagree with. Should we all misspell names or make an effort to treat each other with respect?.........Bill S

[Jim Sloan]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

John, you mentioned that you have had contact with people at GM of Canada in the past regarding records that they have on the cars brought into Canada. I have a 1960 Canadian Export Corvette that I had contacted the Vintage Services Section of GM of Canada about a number of years back. It is car #512 and they did send me confirmation that this car was imported into Canada and sold at a Canadian dealership in Vancouver, British Columbia. They said that in the 1960 model year, only 63 Corvettes were sold in Canada and they have the records of them. One of the pieces of information that they sent me was a copy of an original form showing the following information. It said on the top: "Car Assembly Record", General Motors of Canada Ltd., Year- 1960, Model- 867, Produced- Month & Day, Date Shipped- Month & Day, Shipping Order No., Dealer No., Trim No., Paint No. My car was one of the Corvettes listed by serial number. The page showed 40 of the 63 export cars. As I have all of the original history of my car prior to receiving this information, all of the information matched. The only thing that some people have a problem with is that the dates for these Corvettes listed on the document under "Produced- Month & Day" do not match the information listed in the "Corvette Birthday Book". In my 1960 #512 it says it was built September 28, 1959 and in the GM of Canada original documentation it says "produced" October 14, 1959. Some people think that the term "produced" on the form must mean something else, because it does not match up with the Birthday Book dates.
Do you know anything about this situation and have you ever seen one of these "Car Assembly Record" documents from GM of Canada for any year showing Corvettes? I have only ever seen my 1960 document myself. Something to think about maybe?

[Jim Sloan]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

John, you mentioned that you have had contact with people at GM of Canada in the past regarding records that they have on the cars brought into Canada. I have a 1960 Canadian Export Corvette that I had contacted the Vintage Services Section of GM of Canada about a number of years back. It is car #512 and they did send me confirmation that this car was imported into Canada and sold at a Canadian dealership in Vancouver, British Columbia. They said that in the 1960 model year, only 63 Corvettes were sold in Canada and they have the records of them. One of the pieces of information that they sent me was a copy of an original form showing the following information. It said on the top: "Car Assembly Record", General Motors of Canada Ltd., Year- 1960, Model- 867, Produced- Month & Day, Date Shipped- Month & Day, Shipping Order No., Dealer No., Trim No., Paint No. My car was one of the Corvettes listed by serial number. The page showed 40 of the 63 export cars. As I have all of the original history of my car prior to receiving this information, all of the information matched. The only thing that some people have a problem with is that the dates for these Corvettes listed on the document under "Produced- Month & Day" do not match the information listed in the "Corvette Birthday Book". In my 1960 #512 it says it was built September 28, 1959 and in the GM of Canada original documentation it says "produced" October 14, 1959. Some people think that the term "produced" on the form must mean something else, because it does not match up with the Birthday Book dates.
Do you know anything about this situation and have you ever seen one of these "Car Assembly Record" documents from GM of Canada for any year showing Corvettes? I have only ever seen my 1960 document myself. Something to think about maybe?

[Art A.]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

"Jim is trying very hard to offer something really wonderful for the hobby"

Bill, This is what I was disagreeing with, because I don't think Jim is doing the hobby and favors by stringing people along.

MHO
Art

[Art A.]

Re: Original Corvette Documentation Coming

"Jim is trying very hard to offer something really wonderful for the hobby"

Bill, This is what I was disagreeing with, because I don't think Jim is doing the hobby and favors by stringing people along.

MHO
Art